


Shot Through the Heart

by ByTheBi



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Cupid AU, Cupid Hanzo, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 16:53:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13663257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ByTheBi/pseuds/ByTheBi
Summary: As much as he would prefer staying out of people’s affairs, it was in Hanzo’s blood to be a matchmaker.Literally.Unfortunately for him, incorrigible flirt Jesse McCree was not making his job easy.





	Shot Through the Heart

As much as he would prefer staying out of people’s affairs, it was in Hanzo’s blood to be a matchmaker.

Literally. 

To many, he would be considered a cupid. The reality of it was a little more complicated than that. For one thing, he was most certainly not a fat cherubic baby wearing a diaper and carrying heart shaped arrows. His hatred of February stemmed from the over saturation of stores with that absurd representation of his kind. Secondly, despite popular misconception, he didn’t force people to fall in love with each other. That was outside his magical abilities. Infatuation, however, could be easily wielded and could very often act as a precursor to a proper loving relationship. As could intrigue. And curiosity. 

Hanzo liked to think he was pretty good at what he did. He never missed a shot, and even if he didn't always stick around to see what came of his efforts longterm, more often than not he got to at least see numbers exchanged or some flirting underway. Anything that could be interpreted as a sign of a job well done.

He was certain he would be seeing one such sign soon. He had caught a glimpse of a handsome man holding open a door for a beautiful woman to the apartment building they both inhabited, which was nothing remarkable in its own right, but then the man tipped his hat at her. She giggled and thanked him, cheeks rosy from the attention. The playful way she said his name implied that she was already acquainted with him, if not already interested. Satisfied with the information he had gleaned so far, Hanzo selected two arrows: curiosity and bravery. The former he directed towards the man, the latter at the woman. They chatted as they entered the lobby, oblivious. Hanzo glided down, easily phasing through the thick outer door of the building to watch the progression of their flirting.

“Say, Jesse,” the woman called as they checked their mailboxes on opposite sides of the hall. She was fidgety, missing the keyhole twice before finally succeeding in opening the small box. “I’m having a few friends over Friday after work. You’re welcome to join if you want. It’ll be really casual, just some beer and board games.”

Hanzo smirked, proud at the way her voice did not waver, despite the shakiness in her hands. He could inspire bravery in her, but the actual steadiness was all her. 

“Aw, shucks, Liz,” the man began, shutting his own box and locking it in one smooth motion. His voice already sounded apologetic, something neither Hanzo nor Liz liked. “That sounds mighty fun, but I already made plans with some people on Friday.” 

Hanzo swore loudly; they couldn’t hear him anyway. Still, he assured himself that hope was not lost and that If these two were really a good pair, they would just make plans for another day--

“Oh, okay, yeah. No problem,” she said quickly, hiding her disappointment like a champ. Hanzo felt his chest swell with pride for her once more. 

“Y’all have a good time though, y’hear? Let me know how it goes,” the man said amicably, giving her a little wave as he ambled towards the staircase. She looked on in confusion.

“Not going to take the elevator?”

His footsteps were already stomping up and away. His answer echoed in the stairwell. “Nah. Need the exercise! See ya, Liz!”

Liz sighed and stepped into the elevator alone. The doors closed on her dejected expression. 

Hanzo resisted the childish urge to kick the mailboxes. So much for that. 

—

He tried not to let the first failure bring him down— after all, the odds weren’t exactly in his favor when it came to going around pairing people up based off of a moment’s study and his own intuition. Instead, he decided to study the man in question, Jesse, more carefully so that he could get a more accurate idea of the man’s type. 

Hanzo learned, after about two week’s worth of effort that River, Carolina, Mei-Ling, Olivia, or Arlette were not his type.

He also learned that the man’s full name was Jesse McCree, he lived with a dog he smuggled into his apartment complex, he had an extensive liquor cabinet filled with top-quality brands, and he enjoyed rewatching old movies. As interesting as all that might be, none of these facts had helped his endeavors to find the man a girlfriend.

Disgruntled by his continuous failures, Hanzo turned the last tactic left in his arsenal. 

Taking on a human form was an easy enough task. Getting close enough to the man to actually learn something useful was where the real challenge lay. He spent a day or two wandering around the area, searching for the best approach. Eventually, he settled on occupying a window table at the local cafe Jesse McCree visited every morning. The man always got his order (hot black coffee and a buttered roll) to go, but the place had a nice atmosphere, so Hanzo didn’t mind sitting around for a few hours on his own, sipping his own tea and reading romance novels to kill time until his next attempt. 

He did this for a few days, quietly taking note of the other café regulars and towards which of the workers Jesse seemed friendliest. The man was an incorrigible flirt, Hanzo quickly learned. It was aggravating if only due to how much it complicated his job. 

Hanzo rolled his eyes as he watched Jesse accept his order from the barista with an unnecessary wink. He knew by now that Jesse’s winks never held any real intent behind them, and that he would no doubt be scurrying out the door any second now. He turned back to his book, mildly irritated but not really surprised. 

What was surprising though was the sound of a chair scraping against the floor and a smooth baritone request, “Is this seat taken?”

Jesse McCree stood before him, one hand already pulling out the chair across from Hanzo, but he did not sit until he was told “No, go right ahead.”

Hanzo brought his cup up to his lips, pleased that this massive pain in his ass was finally doing something to make his life easier. He mulled over his options in his head, debating whether to turn back to his book so as to avoid looking too eager or to strike up conversation now that he had the chance. Jesse ended up making the decision for him.

“The name’s Jesse, by the way. Figured I’d at least introduce myself if we’re sharin’ a table,” he said, giving Hanzo an easy smile. 

“Fair enough,” he replied. “I’m Hanzo. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“You know, I’ve seen you in here a few times. You live around here?”

Hanzo raised an eyebrow and Jesse quickly waved the question away, chuckling. 

“Actually, you don’t have to answer that. I’m sure it sounded a little creepy coming from a total stranger. I just meant to start a conversation is all.”

“Well, you have certainly succeeded in that at least.”

Jesse pretended to wipe some sweat off his brow. “Phew! That’s a relief. I was worried I ruined my chances for a second there.”

“Chances of what exactly?” he asked, confused. 

“Chances of you being my Valentine, sugar.” 

Oh. 

Oh. 

“You're attracted to men?” Hanzo blurted out before he could help himself. Jesse's face immediately closed off and Hanzo recalled belatedly that some humans still responded negatively to certain sexualities. He scrambled for his manners. 

“It’s not a bad thing!” He said quickly. "It just— It would explain a lot. I’ve seen many women flirt with you, but you never seemed interested.” He hoped his statement was vague enough that he wouldn’t be questioned too much. To his relief, understanding appeared on Jesse’s handsome face with a quirk of his lips. 

“Yeah, my friend always used to call me a ladies’ man, but not a man for the ladies, if that makes sense.” He shrugged. “Sounds dumb as hell sayin’ it out loud like this, but it’s accurate.”

Hanzo nodded, digesting this information. It certainly fit in with what he had seen of the man thus far, and explained why Hanzo’s cupidic meddling never worked with him. He was an idiot for assuming the man’s sexuality in the first place. 

His silence must have stretched on too long for Jesse’s comfort because he awkwardly cleared his throat. 

“So, uh, about the whole Valentine thing? You never really answered me.”

“Hmm…” He studied him. For the first time since coming down to Earth, he really looked at the man, not through the gaze of a potential love interest, but through his own eyes. 

It was amusing how nervous he looked now compared to all the times he carelessly flirted with women. Endearing, even. He gazed at Jesse’s kind brown eyes and rough skin, his lopsided smile. He recalled the moments he had glimpsed over the course of the past few weeks: Jesse playing with his dog, laugh hearty and warm as he was nearly knocked over by the young pit bull; Jesse falling asleep over his keyboard on the weekends as he tried to meet a deadline for work; Jesse cooking a surprisingly tasty looking dinner for himself. He had gotten a glimpse of what life with this man could look like, and he had to admit, it was a pretty alluring prospect.

It was his job as cupid to find a partner for Jesse McCree, but no one ever said that person couldn’t be himself.

“I’d like that,” he said finally. 

Jesse beamed, setting Hanzo’s heart aflutter. “Might be a bit presumptuous of me, but I like to come prepared,” he explained as he slid over a white and red square. A Valentine’s Day card. 

Hanzo picked up the card and immediately snorted. The front of the card depicted the traditional arrow piercing a heart with the words “Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame” in large font encompassing it. 

“If I open this, will Bon Jovi start singing to me?” he asked in amusement. 

Jesse barked out a laugh. “Ha! I wish. That woulda been more fun. Nah, the inside of it just has some generic Hallmark shit. I promise I’ll get you something better for actual Valentine’s day."

“I’m holding you to that,” Hanzo warned.

“Darlin’, I’m a man of my word.”

Sure enough, two days later, he kept his word when he met Hanzo outside of a fancy restaurant, a lovely red rose in one hand and a handwritten card in the other. 

The entire night, Hanzo checked the skies periodically, wondering which of his cupid brethren could have struck his heart so soundly to make him feel so much for this man in such a short time. But deep down, he knew full well that real feelings could not be wielded. They acted freely and on their own whims, touching hearts with a such lightness and grace that it was never noticed until it was firmly imbedded in your soul. 

For the first time in his long life, Hanzo felt the rush of love through his veins.

**Author's Note:**

> This came out shorter than I anticipated at first, but ultimately, I prefer it this way. There were too many potential questions to answer in one story if I had gone my original lengthy route, and I think it would better be suited over the course of multiple one-shots, if people are interested in this AU. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think and what you would like to see!


End file.
